I am gonna work on a 98 f-150 5.4 and have some questions about spark plugs. From what I have read it seems likes its a major and scary deal to change your spark plugs.

What I was wondering is,

-is my truck in that group of vehicles that are almost impossible to change.
-are mine willing to break
-should I take it into a mechanic if I have never done it before
-what will it cost if I take it to a mechanic.

Also I keep reading things about TSB's... what are they

Thanks Jake

 

Your truck is in the difficult to change group

You do not have the 2004 or later with the brak off plugs

I don't know your mechanical apptitude

Mechanic is going to want approx. $300 depending on labor rates in your area.

Plugs 3 and 4 are the tough plugs to get out. They are the back 2 plugs on the driver side.

Here is how I do plugs on my 97 with a 4.6L.

1. remove the valve stems on the front tires- this not only lowers the truck a bunch but angles the truck making 3 and 4 much easier to reach.

2. Remove the fuse box cover, after you disconnect the battery

3. Tie the heater hoses out of the way.

4. Remove the injector wiring connectors

5. On thre drivers side remove the intake tack between the throttle body and air cleaner housing and also unbolt the PS resovoir.

5. My truck has plug wires, which are really hard to remove from the plug on the OE wires. I make a nose out of a 2 ft long wire tie and wrap it around the boot and then pull staright up. I remove the retianing tab so that I can reuse the wire tie.

Letting the air out of the tires is the single biggest time saver.

 

I think I might give it a shot.

So just to clarify I dont have to worry about my plugs braking anymore then with my 02 Ranger?

Thanks for the help!

 

bump

 

What trucks are in the "hard to change" category? I've got a 2007 F150 STX 4.2L V6 2wd. What's this about plugs breaking? I've got less than 300 miles on my engine, should I remove them now and put some anti-sieze or something on the threads so I can remove them safely in a few years? Or are the plugs prone to breakage when they're brand new?

 

NO, The 5.4 engine is the one with the culprit plugs, not the 4.2....Have a great day

 

The V6 is relatively easy to change plugs on - they are "conventional", located in the side of the head, and it uses "conventional" plug wires and a single 6 hole coil pack that's out in the open. It's just a long reach to get the back plugs out as the engine is set back a ways under the firewall. It's the OHC V8's that are a pain.

 

Stenz, I did mine a few months back on my '00 5.4L and the process was not nearly as "difficult" as I imagined. Just take your time and do one at a time. Tape sockets/extensions/swivels together so that they don't come apart. Be careful not to cross-thread plugs when installing the new ones, etc.

 

or you can use a step stool cause im too lazy to let the air out

 

Great!! Did you worry about any of your plugs snapping?

 

Not once. In fact, I've never heard of snapping plugs.

 

1997 - 2003 4.6L, 5.4L models = Most cylinder heads have 4 threads and are easy to strip out. Use a rubber hose to install new plugs..

2004 - present models = The plugs are a biatch to get out and they can brake off easily. Keep weight/force centered on the back two especially.

The best tool IMO is a cordless impact for removal for the front six.

 

What does he mean ^^^ when he talks about a rubber hose. Is it an actual rubber hose?

Pics

 

yes, rubber hose rather then a tool that grabs onto the spark plug, otherwise you'll never get the tool out... LOL.
http://www.rmftc.com/howtos/sparkplugs/sparkplugs.html
Those might help.

 

A piece of vacuum hose that is a tight fit over the metal plug cap.